Removal: Contractors move in to clear the dangerous waste, which included asbestos, dumped outside a building site off Standon Road, Wincobank.' PICTURE: STEVE ELLIS.

WASTE containing asbestos sparked safety fears after it was left lying in a Sheffield street for almost two weeks.

Contractors demolishing Wincobank Working Men’s Club raised the alarm after building debris was dumped next to the site.

Workers were forced to call Sheffield Council to have it removed after realising it contained the banned substance – but the council took 13 days to clear up the mess in Dara Street.

Joyce Townsend, aged 75, of nearby Standon Road, said: “I naively thought they’d come and take it away that day because it is so dangerous. The builders couldn’t do anything about it. It is a potential danger to children who play near there.

“The council told me there was a delay because they had to get a specialist company to come and remove it. If they need to do that just to take it away, how can they just leave it lying there?

“I feel so angry. It was an eyesore, but also a danger. Why didn’t they pull their finger out?

“At first I was told Street Force were dealing with it but that changed to Streets Ahead – it should be called Streets Behind.”

The delays were put down to weather conditions, availability of the specialist team and a row over the source of the discarded rubbish.

Coun Peter Price, said: “There was confusion over where the waste had come from as it was near a building site. The officers had to come out and make sure it was asbestos first, then we had to arrange for them to take it away.

“The council acted as quickly as it could in the circumstances.

“We need to try to catch the people who dump this in the act. We have an issue and history with people dumping stuff in that area.”

Chris Morris, for Streets Ahead, said: “We are reviewing our asbestos removal procedures as a result of this incident to speed up this process in future.”